Conduct co-creation workshops

Le kit “Co-construction par et pour les mineurs de parcours utilisateurs” est issu d’ateliers menés dans le cadre de l’élaboration des recommandations de la CNIL sur les droits numériques des mineurs. Cette méthode a permis de produire trois études de cas d’interfaces adaptées aux jeunes.

Once the participants have been recruited and the preliminary research has been completed, the co-creation workshops can be prepared and conducted.

Prepare materials

Based on the analysis of the information collected during the research phase, you can develop the tools needed to facilitate the co-creation workshops. These tools include personas, mission cards, and interaction and discussion cards to facilitate exchanges between participants.

Create personas

Analysing the information collected during the research phase will help you identify major trends in the digital practices of the minors you are working with, as well as weak signals — that is, less common behaviours or practices that nevertheless have strong links to privacy and personal data.

The personas you create should be based on these findings, allowing you to create credible characters with whom minors can identify. Consider creating at least three profiles that reflect different digital practices.

You can use the template on page 6 to create your personas, or use it as a source of inspiration and adapt it as you see fit.

The template and feedback from the experience are available in the PDF version of the toolkit, pages 6 and 7.

Create mission cards

Mission cards highlight problems or situations that need to be resolved. They focus on one or more of the three pillars of data protection: information, consent and the exercise of rights. These cards should be based primarily on your context, the challenges you have identified and the information collected during the preliminary research phase. The mission cards presented here include the following information:

► Context: a short description of the situation participants will be working on;

► Mission: the problem participants will have to solve in relation to the situation described in the context;

► Data protection focus: the data protection aspect(s) on which participants should focus. To find out more, you can consult the key GDPR concepts. You can also use the GDPR cards to support participants;

► Useful information: additional information that sheds light on certain elements or explains specific terms. This information is intended to help participants understand the problem and respond appropriately.

The template and feedback from the experience are available in the PDF version of the toolkit, pages 8 and 9.

Define combinations of missions and personas

Each group of minors will work on one or more combinations of personas and mission cards during the workshop. It is best to check the possible combinations beforehand to make sure that they all work. Some combinations may not be coherent and should therefore be discarded.

There are several ways to create these combinations:

► Work on one mission card through the lens of several personas. This approach makes it possible to develop several solutions to the same problem, with each solution providing a response specific to each persona profile;

► Work on several mission cards through the lens of one persona. This approach makes it possible to explore several problematic situations through a single perspective and develop responses based on a single type of usage and experience;

► Propose several combinations of one mission card and one persona card. This approach makes it possible to explore and resolve problematic situations through multiple user experiences;

► Draw combinations at random during the workshop. This approach requires less preparation beforehand and is possible if all combinations are coherent.

During the workshop, groups can work on the same combinations or on different combinations.

Interaction formats

To facilitate the workshop and encourage participants to express themselves, you can provide materials that help structure interactions and make discussions more fluid and engaging. For example, you can provide participants with cards that allow them to indicate, while listening to someone else, that they agree with what is being said, have a question or have an idea. These cards allow participants to signal that they would like to speak without interrupting the person who is currently speaking. The speaker can choose to respond to these signals whenever they wish.

Examples of interaction cards are available in the PDF version of the toolkit, page 11.

Facilitation

The workshop is the stage during which minors design interfaces and user journeys themselves to address the situations described in the mission cards. Through the proposals they develop as a group, minors express solutions that respond to their expectations and are adapted to their practices.

Workshop structure

Every workshop is different, and the information below is provided for guidance only, particularly regarding the time allocated to each activity. The pace of the workshop will depend primarily on the number and age of the participants. Younger children have shorter attention spans, which means that activities should be shorter and breaks more frequent.

The activities described below are available in the PDF version of the toolkit, pages 13 to 16.

Welcome and introduction

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Time: 10 min

Materials: presentation slides

Objectives: remind participants of the workshop context and objectives, and introduce them to one another for the rest of the workshop.

When welcoming participants, both minors and legal representatives, it is recommended that they go directly to their group table. This allows them to get to know one another and meet the facilitator who will accompany them throughout the workshop. Groups should consist of 4 to 5 people, with a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 6. If legal representatives are present, they do not have to be in the same group as the minor they are accompanying.

This first part of the workshop is used to present the session’s structure and describe the workshop’s context and objectives. It also provides an opportunity to review several concepts that will be useful during the rest of the workshop, particularly those relating to data protection. It is also an opportunity to create a dynamic, positive and trusting atmosphere in which minors feel comfortable expressing themselves. The facilitator can also answer participants’ initial questions.

Icebreaker activity

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Time: 5–10 min

Materials: depending on the activity

Objective: create a group dynamic.

This activity should last no more than 10 minutes and allows participants to get to know one another through a simple and fun activity. Many techniques are available and can easily be found online, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs.

Storytelling activity

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Time: 20 min

Materials: A3 sheets, pencils, felt-tip pens, tape or Patafix

Objective: create a group dynamic.

The storytelling activity introduces issues relating to personal data and their use by drawing an analogy with contexts that are familiar to minors. This helps connect sometimes abstract concepts with concrete situations, which is particularly important for younger children.

User journey and interface design

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Time: 50–60 min

Materials: Post-it notes, paper, pencils, personas, mission cards, UI kit.

Deliverables: a user journey or interface addressing the challenge presented in the mission cards.

Objective: ensure that the challenges presented in the mission cards are addressed by minors in line with their expectations and needs.

To begin this design activity, the facilitator ensures that all participants understand the different materials. They take the time to answer any questions the minors may have and ensure that all the elements are properly understood, for example by explaining any specific terms used.

Once this has been done, the facilitator guides participants in creating a user journey and interfaces that respond to the mission card based on the selected persona. The facilitator can help minors draw or express their ideas by asking questions or rephrasing their suggestions, while taking care not to introduce their own ideas or biases. To represent the interfaces, participants can use the user interface elements provided in the UI kit.

An iterative approach is recommended during this design phase, starting by generating a wide range of ideas and gradually refining them. Depending on the group dynamics, it may be useful to begin with individual reflection, followed by a group discussion to share ideas and select those preferred by the group as a whole. The facilitator should ensure that every participant has an opportunity to express themselves and is involved in the interface design process.

Discussion

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Time: depending on the number of groups, allow 10 to 15 min per group;

Materials: Post-it notes, pencils, reaction cards.

Deliverables: commented and revised user journeys or interfaces

Objective: review and improve the interfaces co-designed during the previous activity.

After developing their solutions, each group presents the different ideas they came up with during the design phase, followed by the approach they developed. It is preferable for the minors to lead the presentation, with the facilitator stepping in to clarify or explain certain points if necessary. The other participants are encouraged to share their opinions using the interaction cards. The facilitators take note of these comments and add them to the existing interface. If you use Post-it notes, you can assign a colour to each type of suggestion or reaction. For example, use yellow for improvement suggestions and blue for points requiring attention.